Hockey is a fast-moving, competitive game involving extensive contact between players and implements. Thus, hockey players wear padding and protective gloves while playing. Because of the thick padding required to absorb repeated impact with sticks, players and walls, hockey gloves tend to be bulky and cumbersome and can restrict desired finger and hand movement.
For example, a hockey player's thumb tends to receive much physical contact from opposing players, sticks, walls, etc. Accordingly, the thumb of a hockey glove is heavily padded. Also, during play, impact may tend to hyperextend the player's thumb. Accordingly, hockey gloves usually have a stiffened member provided in the thumb padding in order to prevent such hyperextension. However, the stiffened member usually substantially constricts normal articulated movement of the player's thumb. Thus, the thumb tends to have awkward and uncomfortable movement during play because of the glove. This may affect a player's performance.
To facilitate thumb movement, some gloves have a loop formed on the palm side to create a thumb pocket for alternative placement of the wearer's thumb in the glove. This thumb pocket allows the thumb to move with more freedom, being less connected to the padding and the stiffened member. However, such an arrangement provides less complete padding protection and exposes the thumb to dangerous impact from sticks, etc. Also, since the thumb pocket is still joined to the thumb padding, the stiffened member still restricts movement of the thumb even when the wearer's thumb is in the pocket.
Hockey players generally hold the hockey stick with an upper hand near the butt of the stick and a lower hand gripping the shaft nearer the blade. A typical right-handed hockey player will use his left hand to grasp the stick near the butt of the shaft. This left hand is the main hand for grasping the stick and acts to provide stability to the player's grip. Also, this upper hand acts as a pivot point when the player shoots or passes the puck. A right-handed hockey player generally positions his right hand on the handle of the shaft but closer to the blade. This lower hand acts as the main power generator and controller of the hockey stick. The player uses this lower hand to generate power during shots and slashing movements, as well as during passing, receiving, and advancement of the puck. This lower hand is also the main controller of the player's grip on the stick.
Because of their differing positions and purposes, the upper and lower hands tend to grip the hockey stick from different perspectives. For instance, during play, the lower hand is wrapped around the stick with the palm facing generally upward and slightly to the side, while the upper palm generally faces downward. Because of these opposing orientations, the upper and lower hands tend to be impacted in different places.
Although each hand of a hockey player has a different function or role during a hockey game and different protection needs, traditional hockey glove pairs have included symmetrical right and left gloves. These glove pairs ignore the differences between the grasping/pivot role of the upper glove and the power/control role of the lower glove.